Ali Fathi Celebrates Swiss Open Success
by Howard Harding
26 March 2012-
Egyptian teenager Karim Ali Fathi, the No4 seed, became the surprise
winner of the Swiss Open title in Geneva without facing any
higher-ranked opponents in the 39th staging of the established PSA
World Tour Challenger 5 event at the Geneva Squash Club.
The 18-year-old from Cairo, the youngest player in the tournament, beat
France's Geoffrey Demont in the quarter-finals and German Andre
Haschker in the semis - both unseeded - before facing surprise opponent
Lucas Serme, also a non-seed, in the final.
Frenchman Serme, a 20-year-old from Creteil studying at University in
Bristol in the UK, despatched England's No3 seed Jaymie Haycocks in the
opening round and claimed his biggest scalp in the semi-finals where he
ousted second-seeded Dutchman Dylan Bennett.
And outsider Serme opened up a 2/1 lead over the Egyptian in the final
as he looked to be heading towards his third upset in the event.
But Ali Fathi raised his game to defeat Serme 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-4,
11-6 to become the first Egyptian winner of the prestigious title since
2006.
"It was a tough match," said the Egyptian's coach Philip Whitlock. "But
Karim got off to a good start in the fifth and stayed in front all of
that game."
Ali Fathi's success, his second Tour title of the year, marked a
notable double triumph for former England international Whitlock who
not only coaches the Egyptian but also his daughter Emily Whitlock,
winner of the women's Swiss Open trophy.